About the Utilities

Local Ownership & Control

Anaheim Public Utilities is a city-owned, not-for-profit electric and water utility that offers quality electric and water services to residents and businesses in Anaheim at rates among the lowest in California.

Residents take comfort knowing they are equal owners of Anaheim's municipal electric and water utility.

Anaheim citizens are more than utilities customers: they are owners of their utilities. They have input to the decision process both directly and through an appointed citizen advisory Public Utilities Board. With final authority vested in Anaheim's elected City Council, decisions are made in the best interest of our citizens, quality of life, and local economy. As a municipal, not-for-profit utilities, our rates are based on our costs of providing water and electricity.

Overview

Anaheim Public Utilities consists of 352 full-time and 50 part-time employees, focused on operating the municipal electric and water utilities for the benefit of the community.

Anaheim Public Utilities operates the only municipal electric utility in the county. Our system delivers electricity to Anaheim's 360,000 residents and more than 15,000 businesses, including multi-million dollar tourism, sports and manufacturing customers.

Did You Know?
- Anaheim operates its own water quality laboratory.
- Anaheim Public Utilities delivers water that continually meets or surpasses all state and federal regulations for drinking water.
- Prior to the early 1940s, wells were the sole source of water for Anaheim.

The City of Anaheim has been hard at work serving its residents ever since its foundation in 1857.

For over a century and a half, the city has cultivated the ability to rise to any challenge with innovative solutions to better the community. In 1879, Anaheim’s leaders took responsibility for operating the water system for their fledgling city. Then, in 1894, they seized the opportunity to build the first municipal electric utility in Southern California, changing the face of the region for years to come.

Such reliable, affordable water and power attracted businesses and families, evolving Anaheim into a leading industrial and manufacturing center. In the 1950s, the city’s many unique qualities attracted the attention of the famous Walt Disney, who was looking for the perfect place to build his dream park. Anaheim boldly embraced the opportunity, and was soon catapulted onto the world stage - first as a dynamic tourist destination and later as a bustling convention, sports and entertainment hub.

As a result, the Anaheim of today looks much different from the Anaheim of the past – and its demands for water and electricity are far higher than our ancestors could ever have imagined. But the dedication of the city to serving its community and meeting challenges head-on has remained unchanged. Our residential electric rates are the lowest in Orange County, and we still work hard to deliver quality water at a competitive price. We also offer a value-packed array of rebates and incentives - helping our customers make more efficient and economical use of the critical resources we provide.